82 Indian Museum Notes. [Vol. IV* 



removed by some agency, and I am pleased to credit it to our 

 feathered friends, the useful tits and the tree-creeper. 



Asterodiaspis quercicola.—A firmly believe this species is eagerly 

 sought for by various species of tits. Here, in Cheshire, the charac- 

 teristic little depressions made in the twigs of the oak by this species 

 are to be found in thousands. Rarely is it that the Coccids are found 

 in them. This fact, for many years, led me to suspect the birds had 

 taken them. It was not until 1894 that the matter was placed beyond 

 doubt. The May record is of the greatest interest, as at that time 

 there would be a good selection of bird-food. It proves, therefore, 

 that the species is a selected item in the dietary of two species of 

 birds. 



Lecanium genevense.— 'This was one of the earliest species which 

 came under my investigation when first I became a student of the 

 Coccidse. At that time a large colony of these insects infested a 

 short thorn hedge, growing hard by a city foot-path leading to this 

 Museum, where they afforded every opportunity for investigation. 

 The hatching of the larvae, the hibernation of the young $ , and the 

 emergence of the ^ in May, went on without any apparent losses. 

 But when the females had become fat and plump, and ready to lay 

 their eggs, then it was that they began rapidly to disappear, until 

 very few remained. At first I could not account for the loss, but one 

 day a small flock of sparrows {Passer domesticus) were busily 

 engaged in the hedge-row, and as I saw them subsequently in the 

 same place I attributed the disappearance of the Coccids to these 

 omnivorous birds. K post mortem examination would have settled 

 the matter, but the birds could neither be trapped nor shot in such 

 a public thoroughfare. 



Summary of contents of nine stomachs of blue tit and long-tailed 

 tit examined : — Aspidiotus zonatus, many, in February; Asterodi- 

 aspis guercicola, numerous, in February and May ; Mytilaspis 

 pomorUMy a few, in February ; larvae of Diptera, many ; small moths 

 and larvae, manyj Coleoptera, various, chiefly weevils; Cynips, many ; 

 and bud-scales. These occurred in different proportions in the 

 various stomachs. 



It is of interest also to know that many specimens of Phyllotreta 

 tidulata and P. nemorum were found \xi four stomachs of the tree- 

 creeper. 



